Slumber
by amaterasu-kun
Summary: Akane goes into a deep sleep after the last and final attempt for her and Ranma to get married. And there's no waking her. Mostly sap and angst but I tried to make it in character. (Incomplete)
1. I'm Not Dreamin

Slumber  
  
by Amaterasu  
  
Part One: I'm Not Dreaming  
  
" Okay dad, we've decided. We'll do it. "  
  
iRanma's voice was loud, clear and without hesitation as he uttered the words. The heir to the Anything -Martial Arts stood tall and proud, holding his fiancee's hand. His blue eyes trained on the two men seated in front of him, he awaited their reaction.   
  
Saotome Genma rose and placed his hands on Ranma's shoulders. He looked straight into his son's eyes, all at once realizing that his heir had grown up without him noticing. Tendo Soun stood at the same time Genma did, and embraced his youngest daughter. Pride swelled in their chests at the sight of their offspring holding hands, fate finally coming full circle. /i  
  
Akane turned in her sleep, still engrossed in dreaming the events of the previous day.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Akane, Ranma-kun. " Soun's voice was grave and serious for once, a calm expression on his face. He fixed the two with a steady stare and said, " It's time to to think about the future of the Anything-Goes Martial Arts. Make up your mind if you're getting married or not . The family has decided that we'll respect whatever decision you come up with. " He took a deep breath, then continued, " We have realized that the both of you, at 18, should already know your own minds and be the ones to decide upon your future."  
  
Akane stared at her father, hardly believing his words. Finally, after three forced attempts, they were finally granting her and Ranma the right to decide whether they'll really marry or not. She swung her gaze to Ranma, who met hers with a surprised glint in his own eyes. The three of them were silent as moments passed, each trying to absorb the impact of these words.   
  
Finally, Ranma broke the ice as he bowed and said "Thank you, Mr. Tendo. Akane and I will certainly talk about this. "  
  
They spent the remainder of the day sitting ont he porch, neither of them speaking about the delcate matter at hand. They kept sneaking glancing at each other, a heavy mantle of silence upon them. Finally, as the last of the sun's rays disappeared behind the western horizon, Ranma made the first move.   
  
"You know, it isn't a real bad idea at all." He said so softly that Akane almost didn't catch it.   
  
Heat suffused her cheeks with the thought of marrying Ranma. " Yeah," she replied just as gently, not looking at him.   
  
"So, will you?"  
  
A pause. Then, " Will I what? "  
  
A tug on the pigtail. A slight clearing of the throat. "M-marry.. me?"  
  
Blue eyes widened in shock. Ranma was ASKING her? She wanted to faint then and there, but some instinct told her that wasn't a really good idea. So she did her best she could under the circumstances. She nodded, smiling shyly.  
  
Relief washed over Ranma, the tension ebbed slowly from his shoulders. Words that he had never been able to speak broke through the chains around his heart. With an exultant cry, he scooped Akane into his arms and twirled her around the room. Breathless and dizzy, he set her back on her feet, a small blush gracing his cheeks. Shyly, he took her hand and led her out of the room.  
  
They found their fathers in Mr. Tendo's room, playing shogi. With pride and determination, Ranma announced, "Okay dad, we'll do it."  
  
*End of flashback*  
  
The following week was a flurry of activity. Both Akane and Ranma was fitted and refitted for their kimonos. The main room of the dojo was decorated in cheerful red and gold paper. Invitations were sent to Nodoka, living in Okinawa, and to Tofu and Kasumi, who had married and relocated to Kyushu. The plan was to keep the affair simple and under wraps, so that no interferences would be coming.   
  
Three days before the ceremony, Ranma went into the forest and searched for Ryoga. But alas, after a day and a half of searching, he did not find the lost boy. A sadness Ranma did not understand started to swell within him. He didn't fully comprehend why he needed to see Ryoga, why he wanted Ryoga to attend the wedding. The pig-changing youth would probably even put a stop to the ceremony. Shaking his head in disgust, Ranma started for home, at a loss on how to explain this sudden change of thought.  
  
Ryoga remained motionless on the tree branch and watched Ranma go. He'd been dodging him for the past day and half, which was no mean feat. News of the wedding was all over Nerima; no matter how hush-hush they thought it was. He even chanced upon Kodachi and Kuno discussing plans to wreck the wedding. But now, Ryoga was tired. Akane had made her choice and it wasn't him. He hid from Ranma to avoid his rival's expected gloating as well. He needed no further heartache.   
  
Back in the Tendo household, Ranma had just stepped into the door when he heard a loud crash and Happosai bounced out, clutching a set of white underwear. Akane was hot on his heels, her face turning red with anger.   
  
"Ojiisan! Return that to me right now!" A red-faced Akane swept past him, swinging her mallet. Ranma chuckled at the kind of hell Akane would put that perverted old man through. He went upstairs and slept.  
  
---  
  
notes:  
  
-- red and gold are the colors of happiness in japan, or so it was said in that article i read  
  
-- in this timeline, Nodoka had moved away again, but i just made up that bit about her going to okinawa  
  
-- oh yeah, tofu and kasumi are married in this fic, seeing that kasumi is already 21 here and in some ways is already old-maidenish  
  
-- is ranma OOC? yeah i think so too. I'll try better in the next chapters.  
  
Disclaimer: None of these wonderful characters belong to me. They all belong to the great Rumiko Takahashi. Long live Ranma 1/2 fandom!  
  
--- This fic is brought to you through Insane Urge Co. Where sanity is a luxury and losing it is the best medicine. ^_^ 


	2. The Worst Nightmare

Slumber   
  
by Amaterasu  
  
Part Two: The Worst Nightmare  
  
Akane rose up early, feeling refreshed, invigorated, nervous and anxious all at the same time. Part of her was way happy that she was finally going to marry Ranma while the other half was just plain nervous. The fact that nobody came into their house demanding that Ranma show himself or challenged Akane into a fight deeply worried her. Images of Kuno, Kodachi, Shampoo and Ryoga all came to her, each one wearing their own version of an evil smirk. She shook her head and cleared her mind, deciding on a positive outlook for the rest of the day. It was her wedding day after all.   
  
Hours later, she sat in Kasumi's room, her face painted white. She had donned her white wedding kimono, the accompanying veil still in the box. Her eldest sister brushed her long hair gently and swept it up in a loose coil atop her head. Using tortoise shell combs, the coil was held into place. Nodoka Saotome came in and smiled. She drew near and placed an iris bud underneath the white obi. She said that purple was the color of love. The gentle fragrance of the flower wafted up and Akane breathed in deeply, the scent instantly calming her frayed nerves. At last, they hefted the veil out its box, the veil itself a combination of finest white Chinese silk and French lace. They settled it gently, almost reverently on Akane's head, making sure that her face and hair was obscured from view. After a few whispered assurances from both women, they left the room and left Akane alone with her thoughts.   
  
Akane sat still, resisting the temptation to wipe the white paint from her face. A sense of foreboding settled upon her, making a permanent nest in her heart. No matter how she reasoned it out, she still felt uneasy and anxious. She was sure that they were going to make a move and halt the ceremony. She tried to shake the thoughts away but they clung like a thick mist, shrouding her vision of a happy, normal wedding. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the shadow slowly slithering towards the partially open shoji door.  
  
Nabiki Tendo was way beyond relieved when Akane and Ranma said they were going to marry. She was happy that her sister would finally discover happiness of her own. Though she, Nabiki, hasn't married yet, she understood that this union would stabilize their family. She knocked once on her sister Kasumi's room and slid the door open, smiling faintly at the still white figure seated in front of the mirror. "Come on Akane, " she called out. "It's time. "   
  
She watched as her sister rose gracefully, her head still bowed. My, my, what perfect manners. The brown-haired woman thought as she guided the bride to the main room of the dojo. She guided her younger sister to the spot beside Ranma.   
  
Ranma watched Akane glide across the polished floor, utterly beautiful in all white. He couldn't see her eyes, though he understood that it wasn't really proper. She kneeled beside him, a paragon of still grace. He looked around and gazed into the faces of his and Akane's family members. Happosai, Genma and Nodoka were seated on his left while Soun and Nabiki was seated on his bride's right. The smiling Kasumi and dazed Tofu, along with his mother, was seated behind them. And seated besides Dr. Tofu's mother was... a small raven. Ranma frowned and wondered why such a bird was in the dojo. But his thoughts were quickly diverted as the priest started the purification service. After everyone was purified, Ranma was instructed to read the oath he had prepared. He slipped a hand into the sleeve of his haori but reconsidered. Instead he closed his eyes and sang.  
  
~Look into my eyes  
  
You will see, what you mean to me  
  
Search your heart, search your soul  
  
When you find me there you'll search no more  
  
~Don't tell me its not worth trying for  
  
You can't tell me it's not worth dying for  
  
You know its true (you know it's true)  
  
Everything I do, I do it for you  
  
~Look into your heart, you will find  
  
There is nothing there to hide  
  
Take me as I am, take my life  
  
I would give it all, I would sacrifice  
  
~You can't tell me it's not worth trying for  
  
I just can't help it, there's nothing in the world I want more  
  
I would fight for you; yeah I'd lie for you  
  
Walk the wire for you; yeah I'd die for you  
  
~You know its true  
  
Everything I do  
  
I do it for you  
  
Slowly, he opened his eyes, wanting to see Akane's reaction. He was disappointed when he saw that her head was still bowed, concealing her eyes. Her small white hands were clenched in her lap, the only indication of her reaction, which, of course, he didn't understand. Kasumi and his mother dabbed a kerchief to their eyes, moved by his song.  
  
Wait a minute. How come Akane's hands are that pale?   
  
Again, the priest who chanted as he raised his hands to the gods diverted him from his thoughts. A miko came in silently and set up the San-San-Kudo. [1] He and Akane were made to face each other, though his bride's head was still deeply bowed. Their family members were seated around them, all smiling expectantly. Ranma took the first flat cup from the stack, full of sake. He sipped from it three times, relishing the sweet taste combined with the warmth of spring. He placed the cup back into the stack and Akane took it and sipped three times. At her third sip, Ranma saw a flash of blue, which compelled him to tear his bride's veil away. There was a collective shout of "Shampoo!" as the Chinese girl stood up and stared at Ranma.   
  
Shock and anger coursed through Ranma's veins as he stared at her pale, white hands, her upswept hair and her virginal white dress. "Where the hell is Akane?" he asked coldly, his blue eyes chips of ice.  
  
Sad brown eyes peeked from bright blue bangs and a defeated voice replied. "In her room. Sleeping."  
  
He nodded. " Get yourself away from here, Shampoo. And never show your face again." The emotionless voice forced Shampoo to move and in mere seconds, she was gone, leaving a shocked audience. Ranma pivoted sharply and raced to Kasumi's room. When Akane didn't answer his soft knock, he slid the door open and found Akane sleeping on the floor, motionless and deadly pale.  
  
" Akane! "  
  
---  
  
[1] San-san-Kudo is a Japanese traditon of sharing sake (rice wine) as a part of the Shinto Wedding ceremony. English-translated to three times three exchange, there are three stacks of flat cups which are filled with sake. The groom will take the first cup and sip from it three times, followed by the bride and then the family members. The same will be done to the second and third cup.  
  
[2] In case it isn't abvious, the song is Everything I do, I do it for you by Bryan Adams. And no, I don't claim ownership. ^_^  
  
[3] Is he still OOC? *sigh* 


	3. Surrender to Slumber

Slumber   
  
by Amaterasu  
  
Part Three: Surrender to Sleep  
  
" Akane! " Ranma shook her gently, hoping it'll wake her up. But she neither stirred nor made a sound, which made him rather nervous. Members of the family were clustered at the door by now. " Dr. Tofu!" he shouted. The good doctor immediately hurried to him and started checking Akane for signs. He hovered impatiently, driven by fear and anger. Why won't she wake up?   
  
After a few minutes, Tofu motioned to Kasumi and whispred a few words to her. He started making Akane comfortable and made Ranma roll out a futon. The doctor gently laid his charge on the bed, his face quite serious and grave.   
  
" What is is doctor? Is she sick or something? " The blue eyed boy demanded, staring frantically at his fiancee's still form.   
  
Ono Tofu sighed and shook his head. " No Ranma, she's not sick. But she is in a very serious condition." When nobody said anything, he continued. " It seems that Akane doesn't want to wake up anymore and had therefore locked herself within sleep."  
  
Ranma took a step back and stared at the doctor, aghast. " What d'you mean? She's gotta come back! " He reached out and shook Akane. "Hey you uncute tomboy! Wake up! Wake up!" Pressure built up in his chest and heat pricked his eyes. " You can't do this! Wake up I say! Beat the crap out of me and say 'Ranma, you idiot!' Ne, Akane!"  
  
One by one, the other members of the family filed out of the room, conversing in hushed but terse tones with the doctor. They left Ranma to tend to his fiancée.  
  
Akane floated about in space, knees drawn up and curled into a ball. She was tired. Tired of all the fights, the lies, the scheming, and the struggle to get Ranma's love. She remembered trying to be very still as she waited for her sister to come. She remembered feeling no ki drawing near. She remembered a puff of smoke that she inhaled, knocking her unconscious in mere seconds. She remembered seeing a flash of a pointed stick and silver hair before she completely surrendered to the darkness. Then and there is hit her that Shampoo was there and that Cologne had released that powder.  
  
The curled more tightly unto herself, as if warding herself from more pain. She imagined Ranma being married to the Chinese girl without his knowledge. She imagined him being relieved. After all, there really weren't any declaration of love from him. He just asked her to marry him and she was the one who jumped to conclusions. Akane smiled bitterly. What if Ranma asked her to marry just to rid himself of the troubles that plagued him? What if it really didn't matter if the one he married was Akane or not? Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks, wetting the white silk.  
  
{I don't want to wake up anymore.}  
  
[Why's that?]  
  
{So that Ranma will be finally free.}  
  
[Free?]  
  
{Yeah. Free to choose from his cute fiancées. I'm holding him back.}  
  
[Are you sure?]  
  
{Sure? *bitter laugh* Yeah, I'm sure. I'd rather he be happy than marry me and be miserable for the rest of his life.}  
  
[Don't you think he'll be miserable without you?]  
  
{Nah. He has lots of other pretty and rich girls to choose from. Besides, he doesn't love me. He said so.}  
  
[He did?]  
  
{Yeah. He said that I'm an uncute tomboy who can't cook. Is there a man alive who wants an ugly, useless wife?}  
  
[Is that your final decision?]  
  
A pause. {Yeah.}  
  
[Then I will grant your wish.]  
  
{Huh? Wait a minute, who are you?}  
  
In the enveloping mist around her, Akane watched as a large silhouette emerged and found herself face to face with slitted, tawny cat eyes.  
  
" I'm the deity of Slumber. Inari. "   
  
The next day, the Tendo-Saotome family found Ranma sprawled beside Akane, one hand still on her shoulder. With gentleness he rarely showed, Genma rolled out another futon and laid his exhausted son on it. His wife handed him a towel and he wiped the tears tracks on his cheeks. Fear, frustration, sadness, disbelief. Whatever of these prompted his son to cry, it was sure strong enough to make the toughest of the toughs, Ranma, to break down his defenses. Turning to Dr. Tofu, he asked, " Is there nothing we can do? "  
  
Kasumi's husband looked haggard and tired. " I've pored over all the books I have last night. There isn't really any mention of something like this." He clenched a fist and smashed it into his open palm. " I'm sorry, I feel so helpless."  
  
The eldest Tendo sister knelt down beside her husband and cradled his head to her. " I'm sure we'll find a way." She whispered.   
  
They were all silent until Happosai spoke. " I think I could find someone who knows."  
  
"And who would that be, master?" Soun asked wearily, an eye still on his daughter.  
  
" Cologne."  
  
Understanding dawned in Soun's eyes, as well as in Genma. Without words, they stood up and followed their master to the door. In mere minutes, they were outside the Nekohanten. Happosai knocked once and then opened the door.  
  
Shampoo stared, horrified, at the three men who arrived. She sensed something in them that wasn't normally there. A sense of purpose, perhaps and an air of determination. She clutched her tray tight as she asked stiffly, " May I ask what is it you want?"  
  
She was pierced by a look from Happosai, which was neither lusty nor obsessed. Instead, his gaze was cold and indifferent. " Where's your grandmother? "  
  
" I'm here, " replied Cologne as she appeared from the kitchen. " What brings you here Happy?  
  
" I need help. "  
  
---  
  
- wow, this is going to be a long, serious fic *blinks*  
  
- nyahaha.. so, is it a bit in character now? Given that the situation is grave and all that I wanted to put a little more into Genma, Soun and Happosai's character than that's normally implied.  
  
- yes, i know Inari is a fox and that he/she is the deity of the mountain. i can't think of a name though. anyone, any ideas? 


	4. The Promise of Respite

Slumber  
  
by Amaterasu  
  
Part Four: The Promise of Respite  
  
Akane stared at the form, torn between fear and fascination. The deity was tall, around seven feet or so. Long, gleaming silver hair that hung up to the waist. Slitted tawny eyes, much like a fox. Akane took in the lily-white skin, the even whiter garment that he wore loosely. His legs were long and feet were encased in white slippers. Furry ears jutted from the silver mane and five tails ran down from his back. His face was neither grim nor cheerful yet it held a very palpable shrewd intelligence that shone through his eyes.   
  
He stopped a few feet from her, neither moving nor speaking. He just looked at her with those eyes that seem to see right through. The deity seemed content to just stand there and watch her squirm.   
  
" You seem troubled, Tendo Akane. Does this mean that you want to wake after all?" The voice, low and even, was soothing and threatening all at once. One silver brow lifted and a mocking look was in place.  
  
Blue eyes were wary as her feet took a cautious step backward. " Well, not really. You just took me by surprise, that's all."  
  
" Is that so? " Was the reply. Inari took a few steps closer. " We'll does that mean you're ready to be mine then?"  
  
" What do you mean yours?"  
  
--  
  
" No. " Cologne's voice rang loud and clear in the otherwise silent room. There was a stubborn set to her jaw, as well as mutinous look in her eyes. Happosai frowned at this, Shampoo just looked on with fear.  
  
" I will not help you convince Ranma and Akane to wed. My grandson-in-law is for my granddaughter."  
  
The short old man sighed, feeling as if the numerous years of his otherwise sordid life suddenly weighed upon him. " We're not asking you to do that. Whatever it was you did to Akane, undo it."  
  
Pencil thin brows furrowed and a confused voice asked, " What do you mean undo? It's just a simple sleeping powder that we used on her. "   
  
Soun Tendo shot the blue-haired girl a glance " Akane won't wake up. That's why we're here."  
  
Cologne opened her mouth to say something but decided against it. Something about their grave faces and voices told her that something was very wrong. " Expect us by your house in no more than an hour." the three men bowed respectfully and scant moments later, were gone.  
  
Blue eyes switched from looking at the door to the old woman by the stove. " What have we done, great grandma?"  
  
A sigh. " I don't know child."   
  
--   
  
Ranma floated in and out of consciousness, torn between wanting to save Akane and sinking himself into sleep, just like she had. He was tired after all. Tired of pretending something he's not, tired of being chased, tired of being told what to do, tired of being forced who to love. At that last thought, he faltered as he conjured an image of Akane " What's with you? " he whispered softly, bitterly. " Are you going to give up on me like this?"  
  
Out of the corner of his mind's eye, he saw a flash of familiar blue. Small and indistinct, one might disregard it entirely if he wasn't caught in a strange situation like Ranma. He tried to bring that image into sharp focus using all his mental strength. But all he confirmed was that it was a pair of blue eyes with a somewhat dull look.   
  
He woke up with a start. Big blue eyes fringed by black lashes looked up the ceiling, wondering for a moment where he was. His blue gaze shifted to his right and saw his fiancée's still motionless body. It doesn't even look like she's breathing. He thought as his gaze roved over her sleeping form. Ranma looked at her for endless moments, envisioning a life without her. At the thought, an invisible fist seized his heart and slowly squeezed it, the pain real enough to prick his eyes with tears.   
  
He recalled crying yesterday, after pleading and coaxing Akane to wake. The frustration that she won't wake up, the pain of the thought of losing her and the sadness of seeing the next few years without her. They humbled him as nothing ever had and he is starting to deeply regret his harsh words, his unwitting statements, and his callous treatment of her. Why is it that regrets always come at the end? He laughed shortly. Now they won't be regrets if they weren't realized at the end, were they?  
  
He rose at the din of voices coming from downstairs. Slowly, painfully he lifted himself up, his blue gaze never leaving the still form on the futon beside his. He took one last, long look then pivoted sharply and pulled the door open. Ranma took the steps, two at a time, curious as to why there was an unholy commotion. Stopping at the foot of the stairs, he encountered the very last people that he wanted to meet.  
  
A clipped " Get out. " was delivered in a cold, freezing voice that was so unlike the martial artist. Fury started to rise in him swiftly, burning hotter by the second. The longer Shampoo and her great grandmother stared at him, the more he wanted to lash out, to violently toss them out of the house. His battle aura flared wildly around him, giving off incomparable heat. He took a step towards them, having every intention of kicking them out.   
  
The younger Amazon took a step back, fear evident in her face. She noticed that while her grandmother hadn't moved, her gnarled hands were white from gripping her stick too hard. She looked back at the angry, seething young man in front of her. She'd never seen him like this. Fierce and intense, fury was blazing out from his blue eyes. She could read from every rigid line in his body that he was deep into controlling himself from doing bodily harm. Fear coursed through her body as well as a flash of excitement. His rage was palpable as the bite of the winter wind and the more she stared at him, the more he excited her. But all that was wrapped firmly in a fearful gaze she wore, which was none less real.  
  
" I said, get out. Haven't you done enough? " He asked in a cold, unemotional voice. There was no warmth in there, even a hint of heat stemming from anger.   
  
Soun knew he needed to step in. " We brought them here, Ranma-kun. They are the only ones who could help Akane."  
  
"Help her?" The all-too quiet tone was as deafening as a scream. " They did this to her."  
  
For the first time since they stepped foot in there, Cologne finally found her voice. " No, we did not mean for that to happen." Blazing hot blue eyes turned at her. " All we meant for her was to fall asleep and wake up after the ceremony is over."  
  
Ranma let out a shot, humorless laugh. " So, you're innocent in this huh? I'm sorry if I don't buy it." He turned to his father and Soun "Don't you dare let them near Akane. Or there'll be hell to pay." He turned and started up the stairs once more.  
  
" Ranma! " He stopped, but did not turn. " Me and great grandmother are really here to help. Whether you believe it or not, Akane-san has become a friend to me too and it wasn't really my intention for this to happen." Shampoo blinked back tears furiously, knowing that Ranma won't appreciate them.  
  
He didn't say a word. He just continued his flight upstairs. But he neither agreed nor rejected the idea.  
  
Happosai looked at his ascending form with a heavy heart. " Come on. Time is running out."  
  
---  
  
" What do you mean yours?" Akane asked again, eyes wide. She took a few steps back, wanting to put more distance between her and the deity. Blue eyes locked with gold, hers showing her uncertainty, her fear.   
  
Inari smiled a little at her unease. He took one measured step towards her, calculated to shoot her fear sky high. It wasn't usual for a girl like her to wander far into his realm. And he was never one to let a good opportunity pass. His golden gaze roved around her form, acknowledging the beauty there as well as the beauty that will soon emerge. He had spent too much time in here alone and now was his chance for a companion of sorts.   
  
" Mine. Meaning that you'll stay here with me. Forever."  
  
Fear leapt in Akane's breast, mingling with the sudden thought of a blessed reprieve from it all. Dare she consider it? It would take her away from all the pain, the interference. She thought of Ranma and a life without him. Somehow, that thought wrapped itself around her heart like a vise, squeezing it painfully. But isn't this better than see him be wed to another woman? Fresh tears stung her eyes as she envisioned herself wasting away into spinsterhood as Ranma and Shampoo built their family.   
  
(There could be no one else for me.) She thought sadly, letting a lone tear slip. (He doesn't love me anyway, so what's the point?)  
  
Hands trembling, she stretched them towards the tall deity. " Are you sure? " He asked in that deep voice.   
  
Akane stripped away all her hesitations and fears from her mind and heart. She looked directly into that gold pools and saw the escape that she's been looking for. With a firm yet shaky voice, she said yes.   
  
------  
  
--Finally! I get to finish chapter four! Yay!  
  
--Thanks to all who have been reading up to this point. Your comments sure fired me up. If you want to add anything to the story or some crit for me, I'll really appreciate it. :D  
  
--Whew.. a long chapter for once, ne?  
  
Disclaimer: None of these wonderful characters belong to me. They all belong to the great Rumiko Takahashi. Long live Ranma 1/2 fandom!  
  
--- This fic is brought to you through Insane Urge Co. Where sanity is a luxury and losing it is the best medicine. ^_^ 


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